Hyundai Sonata: Classical Sonata

Recently, the general manager of a local car dealership was reminiscing about his many years in the automotive industry and the variety of brands he’d sold during that time. When asked which brands in today’s market he felt provided their owners with value for their dollar, he readily brought up Hyundai.

He pointed out Hyundai’s improvements over initial reliability issues, its extensive warranty and the number of amenities for the price as his reasons. And, just so you know, he doesn’t sell Hyundais.

Hyundai truly seems to be coming into its own. The company is getting Japanese and U.S. car manufacturers’ full attention with its increasing share of the market. The CEOs of two of the largest auto manufacturers in Japan have recently been quoted as saying Hyundai, a Korean company, is currently the biggest threat to Japanese auto manufacturing.Although getting a thumbs-up from someone in the automotive industry is nice and the international automotive intrigue is interesting, none of this is news to current Hyundai owners. They’re already convinced they’ve gotten their money’s worth when it comes to a reliable ride.

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata Limited I recently test-drove had a sticker price of $25,295. The Sonata is smack-dab in the middle of the company’s sedan lineup. Below it are the entry-level four-door Accent and the slightly bigger Elantra. Above it are the Azera, a luxury sedan, and the Genesis – Hyundai’s entry into the rarified air of high-end luxury sedans such as those from BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

For a car that can best be described as a meat-and-potatoes vehicle for its manufacturer, there’s nothing middle-of-the-road about the Sonata. Its more angular exterior styling for 2011 reminds me of a lighter version of Mercedes’ and Lexus’ bigger sedans.

Its starting price of $19,195 for the GLS trim level makes it a highly affordable family sedan. For that price buyers get a comfortable and stylish sedan with a 2.4-liter 198-hp four-cylinder engine, six-speed manual transmission, air conditioning, power windows and doors, dual heated power mirrors, audio system with CD player and MP3 input, Bluetooth hands-free phone compatibility, steering wheel-mounted audio, phone and cruise controls, advanced trip computer with custom settings and dual illuminated vanity mirrors. Adding an automatic transmission costs $1,000.

Next in the trim line is the SE for $22,595, a sports trim that adds a sport-tuned suspension, steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, 18-inch hypersilver rims, fog lights, leather-wrapped steering wheel, shift knob and the seat bolsters.

Although all three Sonata trim levels come with the same engine, the dual exhaust in the SE bumps up the horsepower a smidge to 200 hp.

That’s quite a list of included features for around $25,000. Van Bohn, owner of Hyundai of Metairie, said the best-selling Sonata model is the GLS because of the unbelievable price – “especially with the $199 a month 24-month lease.” The Sonata is Hyundai’s bread-and-butter vehicle, much like the Accord is for Honda and the Camry is for Toyota. With the increase in size and complete inside-and-out redesign for 2011, Bohn said he expects Sonata sales to grow even faster.

The Sonata, with its 22/35 mpg and affordable price, seems to be striking the right chord among value-focused buyers. Perhaps bolstered by its recent marketing campaign, where it offered to take its new cars back if their owners got laid off, Hyundai’s share of the market seems to have increased while other manufacturers lost traction in the difficult economic climate.

The 2011’s new sleek styling and over-sized grille prompted queries regarding my test Sonata. “What kind of car is that?” was the most typical question. The car handled aptly, the new interior displayed several nice touches such as the textured inserts, the pictogram in the climate control area to quickly let you know which vents are open and how fast the fan is blowing, easily accessible dash buttons for trunk and gas cap releases, practical controls for its navigation screen and soothing cobalt blue back lighting.

Another nice touch is the gauge within a gauge displays. The fuel tank gauge is inset within the speedometer and also displays what gear you’re in. The engine temperature gauge is inset in the tachometer and also displays any open doors. These simple touches make it easier to keep your eyes on the road.

My only regret was not having the chance to try the SE model or a manual transmission. I would’ve preferred different shift points on the automatic transmission, so it might have been fun to try the “manual” paddle shifters on the sportier SE model.

Still, the Sonata provides its owners with a class-leading 35 mpg on the highway – something that would probably be nullified with more aggressive shifting. And that wouldn’t be smart in this economic climate.